A claw crane (also called a variety of other names) is a type of arcade game known as a merchandiser, commonly found in video arcades, supermarkets, restaurants, movie theaters, and bowling alleys. A claw crane may also be referred to as a teddy picker, candy crane, claw machine, crane vending machine, arcade claw, grab machine, crane game or simply the claw.
A claw crane consists of many parts, but the basic components are a PCB, power supply, currency detector, credit/timer display, joystick, wiring harness, bridge assembly, and claw. The claw will have two or more prongs or arms, although most claws will usually have three.
The cabinet is usually constructed of medium-density fiberboard (MDF), plywood or other wood or plastic materials. Some cabinets are made of aluminum alloy or other metals such as 18 gauge steel, which makes it easier to relocate as well as cheaper to produce. The window at the front of the machine is normally made of glass or a cheaper-to-manufacture substitute, such as acrylic. The marquee is a branded graphic sometimes created specifically for restaurants or an operator's business name behind the front.
A claw vending machine consists of prizes, usually plush toys or alternatives such as jewelry, capsulated toys, hats, balls, dolls, shirts, candy and electronics. Higher end and more expensive prizes are sometimes placed in a plastic bag so the toy is harder to pick up. The player places coins into the machine, which then allows the player to manipulate a joystick that controls the claw for a variable time (controlled by the operator) usually 15 to 30 seconds (in some cases, a claw vending machine might offer a minute of time). The player is able to move the claw back, forth and sideways, although some machines allow the player to move the claw after it has partially descended.
At the end of the play time (or earlier if the player presses a trigger button on the joystick), the claw descends down and makes an attempt to grip. After making the gripping attempt, the claw then moves over an opening in the corner of the case and releases its contents. If the player is successful, then the prize the claw is holding is dropped into the opening and dispensed through a chute into a hatch for collection.
An alternative version of the machine, popular in arcades, is the two-button version: one marked with a forward arrow, one with a right arrow. The crane starts near the front, left side of the machine and the player presses first the forward button to move the crane towards the back of the cabinet. Once the button is released the crane stops moving and the button cannot be used again, thus requiring the player to judge depth accurately in one attempt. After this, the right button becomes active in a similar way and as soon as it is released, the crane drops to a certain depth and then raises, closing its claw on the way and returning to the drop hatch in the front left corner. These versions are generally considered to be more difficult. However, the button type machines typically do not feature the timers, which are commonly found on joystick type machines.
The success rate winning a prize is dependent on several factors, including operator settings, player skill, depth perception, type of machine, and prizes available (size, density, and distribution). A prize may be lost due to player inexperience, player error in manipulating the claw, or the specific crane configuration. Many modern cranes use a computer to determine a payout percentage based on the operators settings, in the manner that the claw would have a strong grasp on objects only on a certain percentage of attempts. All modern claw machines incorporate some means for the owner to adjust at least the strength of the claw's grip and how closely the claw's fingers pull together, usually with screws on the mechanism or potentiometers on the PCB. Even on older machines, the grip strength can be adjusted by adding circuit components or additional hardware. Some machines incorporate a feature called two-level claw power, which, when enabled, causes the claw to at first grip at full strength, but then weaken its grip to the normal level after a brief delay. This can cause the crane to initially pick up the prize, but then drop it. Modern, higher-end claw machines are fully computerized and are remotely programmable by the owner (via a hand-held device).